I have been on an emotional roller coaster this week. My dad's brother, Truman, passed away on Sunday. It's always hard to lose a family member, but this seems to be hitting me a little harder than usual. It's not like I haven't been here before...several times as a matter of fact...
My dad is one of eight children. He had 5 brothers and 2 sisters. It was wonderful growing up with a large extended family because there was always kids to play with when we visited my grandparent's house. I have so many first cousins on that side of the family I stopped counting when I reached 20!
I have learned these past few years that the downside to a large clan is that we have to deal with aging and dying aunts and uncles on a regular basis. Now it is only my dad and one sister left and she is in a home with Alzheimer's. Unfortunately, she doesn't even recognize my dad anymore, but he continues to go visit her regularly even though I know it pains him to do so. It has been so hard watching my dad have to say good-bye to so many siblings.
The upside of this big ol' clan has been a blessing that I think I took for granted until recently. This week of emotions has taken me on a trip down memory lane that has brought both laughter and tears...
There were the family camping trips every summer to Frenchman's Lake with so many Mosses (family name is Moss) in attendance that we literally took up half the campground. We just made the rounds from one campsite to another all day...eating, laughing, and getting into mischief! There were always several sets of eyes watching us swim or fish, which of course meant we couldn't get away with too much, but also that we were protected by many. Every night was a big campfire at one of the campsites and always ghost stories thanks to my Uncle Cleo who could scare the daylights out of anyone! And of course, there was always the fishing...the men getting up at the crack of dawn (my grandma too when she was there) and heading down to the boats tied up at the lake shore. Oh, and the fish stories... nobody could tell a better one than the Moss men!! There were big fish fries in the afternoons so everyone could go back out and start all over again in the evening! It was a special time every summer for 2 weeks...
There were all the Saturdays spent at Folsom Lake. Several family members including my parents had ski boats and every Saturday we would all converge on Dyke 8 (now called Folsom Point) and spend the day swimming, the adults skiing, and everyone eating. Nobody can pull together a pot luck like the Moss clan!! I can't tell you how many times I heard my mom or an aunt say, "You can't get back into the water for 30 minutes after you eat!" Those thirty minutes went so slow! Those were days of summer fun at it's finest...no wonder I am still a Cali summer girl...
There were the holiday gatherings at Grandma and Grandpa's house that were magical...not because they had a big fancy house...it was actually a plain simple little place...not because there was fancy china or silver...we used paper plates because there were at least 40-50 people...and certainly not because we had gourmet meals...the cooking was southern, made from scratch and oh so good...but because of the family atmosphere. There wasn't a corner that wasn't occupied with conversation or a moment of quiet stillness. It was loud, chaotic, and fun...so many people and so much laughter, we spilled out onto the front porch, the back porch, the back room (Grandma's quilting room), the car porch, and into both the front and back yards! I can close my eyes and see the faces, hear the voices, smell the delicious aromas, get lost in the stories, and wrap myself in the layers of family history. I will always remember and miss those gatherings...
Yes, this is a roller coaster of a week. I have discovered that it is through the sadness and tears that I am learning how to fully embrace the special moments of my life...the ones I don't want to take for granted. I am thankful for the large family God blessed me with and a memory lane that takes me on such a sweet journey...
